


A Change of Mind

by Vinnocent



Series: Teen Titans: Morph! [21]
Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate, DCU, Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Abandonment, Book 13: The Change, F/M, Gen, Gun Violence, Multi, Other, Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-27 15:23:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1715423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vinnocent/pseuds/Vinnocent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Starfire makes up with Phyzzon, her goddess sends them on a mission to find two Hork-Bajir. Unfortunately, she neglected to mention who the Hork-Bajir are, and Phyzzon finds himself confronted yet again by his own sins.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Starfire had been sitting in front of the display panel on the side of the pool for a while before she finally leaned forward and typed out `Koriand'r to Phyzzon 355`

After a moment, the text `Here` appeared. Then, `How are you?`

`I made a new friend`, said Starfire.

`That is good!`

`She became angry with us and left`, Starfire admitted.

`I am sorry that happened`, said Phyzzon.

Starfire hesitated, her stomach churning. Finally, she typed, `I miss you.`

There was a long pause, and the screen briefly went to sleep before waking when Phyzzon replied, `Are you sure?` Then, `I care very much about you, but I am not a replacement for your friend.`

`Nor was she a replacement for you`, Starfire typed quickly. `But the loss of her only makes it even harder to ignore what I feel.` Then, she typed, `I am still hurt by what you hid from me and by how you made your revelation. But I love you, and I miss you, and it’s so lonely not to share myself with you.`

`I miss you, too. Very much`, Phyzzon confessed. `I will rejoin you if you are certain that this is what you want. I will not take anyone against their will again.`

`Thank you`, Starfire typed. `I am certain.`

Starfire stood, feeling nervous in a way she couldn’t quite explain, and pulled her hair aside. She bowed over the side of the portable pool, bending so that her ear only just grazed the water. Soon, she felt the familiar touch of a Yeerk climbing inside her canal, and she was careful to stay as still as possible until he was sat firmly just inside. She then moved to the floor and waited as the numbness began to spread slowly inside. Cool numbness in places where she wasn’t used to noticing any sensation at all. Until he was so far in that she felt nothing at all.

After a moment, she felt a second presence slowly connecting to her own mind. She closed her eyes and calmed herself to prevent any overwhelming signals. She felt it as her limbs because their limbs, her senses became theirs, as he cycled through thoughts, information, different emotions. She could feel her stomach churn and her chest tighten as his nervousness became theirs.

“Phyzzon,” she reminded him gently.

<Sorry,> he said quickly, and she felt his mild panic and strong embarrassment. <Sorry, sorry.>

She smiled and leaned her head back against the tank. “I missed you,” she said again.

<Koriand’r, how long have you been dreaming about Hork-Bajir?> Phyzzon asked suddenly.

Starfire blinked in surprise. “I have not been!” she said. “Aside from the occasional nightmare.”

<You did last night.>

Starfire shrugged. “I suppose I must have forgotten,” she said. “Of what concern is it?”

<Because dreams do not usually come with a timestamp,> Phyzzon explained. <And the sense of time I get from this one is shortly in the future.>

Concerned, Starfire rose and ran to find Raven, who was reading in the main room while Beast Boy and Cyborg played video games. “My friend, I have urgent need of your skills!” Starfire exclaimed, flying over next to Raven and causing her to jump.

“ _Starfire_ ,” Raven chastised. Then she saw Starfire’s worried face. “What is it?” she asked.

“I just now allowed Phyzzon to rejoin me, and he found a dream in my mind that I do not remember, and it has a 'timestamp,' and I do not understand this,” Starfire explained quickly. “Can you inform me of whether it is a typical dream or not?”

Raven put her book down a moment and started to speak. “Hey!” Cyborg cried as static erupted, briefly, on the television screen.

She glanced at the screen, then closed her eyes and breathed deeply. The screen returned to normal. Starfire thought that odd but was soon distracted when Raven addressed her again. “Sit still in front of me. I will look into your mind and see if I sense anything unusual,” she explained.

Starfire did as she was told, sitting cross-legged on the carpet in front of Raven. Raven put her hands on either side of Starfire’s head. Then, almost immediately, she took them off again. Her book jumped off the couch. “Someone definitely implanted that,” Raven said. “Their energy is still all over your mind.”

“Who?!” Phyzzon demanded angrily.

Raven frowned and looked through Starfire for a moment. “Someone… alien. And powerful.”

“X’hal,” Starfire decided. She stood. “Then we must follow her directions.”

“Who?” asked Cyborg.

“What?” asked Beast Boy.

But Raven nodded, "That does seem like the right name," she admitted, "though I don't recognize it."

“Go get our Robin!” Starfire urged them. “And Jake! We have escaped Hork-Bajir to rescue!”

“Jake’s hanging out with the Animorphs today,” Cyborg said, pausing the game and getting up.

“It is of no matter,” Starfire insisted. “There will be Hork-Bajir who are in need, and we must save them! We have not much time!”

－ －

**VrrrrRRRROOOM! VrrrrRRRROOOM! Vrrrr-RRRROOOOM!**

On approach, they could hear the sound of motorcycle engines. From the back of ~~Beast Boy~~  Changeling’s pterodactyl form, ~~Robin~~  Nightwing peered ahead into the forest with infrared binoculars. “There!” he exclaimed. “There’s about two dozen humans traveling together.”

~~Raven~~   ~~Pride~~  Temrash suddenly coalesced on Changeling’s back, behind ~~Cyborg~~  Cyberion. Changeling screeched in protest as he’d already been overloaded, but Temrash snapped, “I’m only going to be here a moment! Get over it!” Then, he turned his attention to Nightwing, Cyberion, and ~~Starfire~~  Superstar, who was flying next to them. “Up there is a pack of armed Human-Controllers with lots of guns,” he announced. “If they see you, you _will_  get shot. Your Hork-Bajir are up ahead, cutting a path through the forest.” He disappeared.

Nighting scowled. “Superstar, move ahead. Changeling, swoop around the long way to see if you can avoid--"

“Oh, also,” Temrash said, appearing suddenly again, “there are Animorphs.”

“ _What_?!” Cyberion demanded, and Temrash pointed ahead at a red-tailed hawk and a bald eagle. Then, he disappeared again.

Changeling began to swoop well around the human forces, and Nightwing looked around them. “I see Tobias and Rachel, but where are the others?”

“Maybe they're not on a mission,” Cyberion suggested.

Superstar zoomed ahead to the birds and waved hello to them. <Starf-- Superstar!> Tobias cried. <What are you doing here?>

“She received a message from God,” Superstar answered. “So, we brought the Heroes Against Control.”

<Wait, _Phyzzon_? > asked Rachel. <You’re back?>

“Yes.”

<Geeze, think maybe you should let people know before you decide something like that?> Rachel snarled.

Superstar pouted with a confused expression. “Why?” she asked.

<What do you mean ‘a message from God’?> Tobias pressed. <Is this an Ellimist thing?>

<That would explain a lot,> said Rachel.

Superstar scowled. “Ellimist is an Andalite god,” Phyzzon said. Behind them, Changeling screeched as gunfire burst, and Cyberion dropped into the forest while firing his sonic cannon against the humans. Taking that as a signal, Superstar flew ahead, turned off her hologram, and landed in front of the shocked Hork-Bajir. “Hello, friends!” she exclaimed. “We are--!”

<Are you _stupid_? > Rachel demanded dropping into a tree nearby. <You don’t know for sure that they’re free!>

But Starfire only smirked, ignoring her. “We are Phyzzon 355 and Princess Koriand’r of Tamaran,” they said, introducing themselves. “X’hal of the Vega system has sent us to protect you, as she favors the warrior you will hatch. Will you accept our help?”

<Incoming!> Tobias warned. <At two o’clock!>

Starfire merely turned and waited for the two pickup trucks to come into sight, before shooting one with a high-powered Starbolt, easily destroying it and ejecting the Human-Controllers inside. When the other skidded to a surprised stop, Starfire flew forth, grabbed the front just behind the bumper, and turned it over. When the passengers bailed out, she easily scared them off with more Starbolts.

She turned back to the Animorphs and Hork-Bajir.

“Yes, help,” said one of the Hork-Bajir, though the other was attempting to pull them back in fear.

Starfire nodded. Then, she turned to the red-tailed hawk. “Tobias, can you think of a good place to hide them?” she asked.

<What, God sent you here without a plan?> he asked.

She smirked. “ _You_ are here, are you not?” she said.

There was a moment’s hesitation, then, <There’s a cave I know of. If we can keep them alive all the way there.>

Starfire grabbed her communicator, which had a changed out faceplate from the “T” logo to the strange, crossed-out O of the Heroes Against Control. It was still very yellow. “Changeling,” she called. “I need these two Hork-Bajir to follow a flier. If you can lift them, I will trade places with you in the battle.”

“On my way,” his voice returned over the radio.

Starfire put a hand on each of the Hork-Bajir’s arms, though the fearful one recoiled. “My friend Changeling will take you to follow Tobias and Rachel here. I will now aid my friends in preventing your enemies from following,” she explained. “I will return to you when I can.” She flew off and changed her hologram again when she was out of view, not wanting the Hork-Bajir to misunderstand and believe her to have tricked them.

Soon, Changeling appeared as an a tangerine-colored lemur, changing back to his simeon-like false base form on landing in front of the Hork-Bajir. “Who am I following?” he asked, looking around.

<Me,> said Tobias.

Changeling nodded turned to the Hork-Bajir. “I’m going to turn into a _really_ big bird and carry you in my claws,” he informed them. “Please don’t get scared.”

－ －

`((Psst, this is the HAC logo.))`

－ －

“The barn,” Temrash drawled, unamused. “All along you’ve been meeting in the _barn_?”

“Well, some of us prefer not to live in a giant target,” Marco grumbled, standing by the doorway, but everyone had noticed that he was more muscular than usual with an oddly-formed jaw and too-big hands, already part-way into morph in case he needed to fight any of the _two_  Yeerks now with the Teen Titans.

“Oh, did you change neighborhoods?” Temrash teased.

Marco stepped forward, looking about to punch Temrash and Raven, but then he leaned back against the wall again. “Yeah, actually,” he huffed, refusing to start the fight over insults. If he was going to fight something as scary as Raven, he was going to have a _very_  good reason.

Robin clamped a hand over Raven’s mouth to prevent Temrash from egging anyone on further. “Back on the _actual_  topic?” he said. They were all gathered in Cassie’s barn, with the Titans wearing civilian clothes instead of either costume set, though Robin was wearing dark sunglasses in lieu of his mask, and Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy, all still stood out for their cybernetic parts, grey skin, orange-gold skin, and green, elfen features, respectively. Starfire was the only one not remotely trying to cover up. “Those Hork-Bajir can’t stay in that cave forever,” he said. “The Yeerks are still searching for them.”

Marco nodded solemnly. “If _any_ normal humans find those Hork-Bajir, there’s potential for the invasion to be revealed,” he said. “And if they move to open invasion…” He shook his head. “I’m not sure we can still fight them.”

“We’re _barely_ fighting them as it is,” Cyborg agreed.

<It is more than that,> Ax interjected from where he stood half-hidden in a horse stall. <l have never known of a free Hork-Bajir. They've been slaves of the Yeerks for a long time. But it is possible. Maybe somehow, while these Hork-Bajir’s Yeerks were in the Yeerk pool, the Hork-Bajir managed to escape. It is possible. In which case, these may be the only free Hork-Bajir in the entire galaxy. The only two free members of their species.>

Phyzzon looked at the floor.

“Imagine," Cassie whispered. "Imagine being the only two free humans in all the world…”

Robin turned to Starfire. “You said your god gave you this information,” he said. “Didn’t she say anything else? Give you any clues to the next step?”

Starfire shook her head. “No. The dream only contained a vision of the area, the Hork-Bajir themselves, and a sense of time and purpose. Even Phyzzon cannot uncover further details.”

<Pause,> Ax said, tail suddenly arching and eyes more alert. < _Your_ god? The only god worshipped by Tamaraneans? >

Starfire nodded. “Yes, X’hal. Raven sensed this even without knowing who X’hal was.”

<No one mentioned anything about X’hal being involved.> Ax’s “voice” in their heads came with a sense of dread.

Tobias turned to his friend curiously. <You know about this X’hal?> he asked.

<She’s the living goddess of the Vega system,> he explained. <Everyone knows about her. Whatever her purpose in protecting these Hork-Bajir, if she has chosen our help, then we _will_ be destroyed if we fail her. >


	2. Chapter 2

“Destroy us?!” Rachel demanded, jumping to her feet. “Excuse me, did you just say she’d _destroy us_?!”

“I apologize,” said Starfire. “I keep forgetting that Earthlings are unaccustomed to this.”

“Unac--?” Marco snapped, “You’re saying she’s going to _kill_ us if we don’t do a good job!”

Starfire shrugged. “And a hurricane will kill you if you are unable to escape it,” she said. “These things happen.”

Robin raised his hands, trying to quieten everyone. “Hold on! Everyone just hold on!” he urged. He turned to Starfire. “I know you, Star. If you’re this nonchalant about it, it’s not _just_ because you’re used to the way she works,” he said. “I’ve seen you stressed over hurricanes before.”

“Because this time we have nothing to worry of her fury,” Starfire said. She looked over the group with a confused expression. “If we had learned of this by any other means, would we not still fight with every effort to help them? X’hal’s involvement only shows her favor. If she believed us incapable, why even bother giving it attention over such distance?”

<Why _is_  she giving it such attention?> Ax wondered. <It’s rare for her to act outside of the Vega system, and even then, it would be somewhere much closer than this planet.>

“Because Vegans rarely travel so far _and_  happen upon a matter of interest to her,” Phyzzon answered. “But where Vegans, like Starfire, go, so does X’hal. With a Yeerk Invasion of Earth, not to mention the high-concentration of metahumans, magic-users, and extraterrestrials, the only thing surprising about this is that X’hal’s request is so _small_.”

“ _Small_?!” Jake repeated, disbelieving. “What about saving two Hork-Bajir from an entire pool full of Yeerks is _small_?”

“There was once a Gollak temple to X’hal on Iaf,” Starfire explained. “But it became old, and the wood began to rot. So they built a new temple from stone, in a better spot, on the other side of the continent. When it was done, they divided all the treasures that had been given to her over the centuries among six hundred armed troops, to prevent the whole lot from being stolen. On the way, a small jewel the size of a pinhead fell from its finding in an elaborate crown.

“Upon arrival at the new temple, the priests and warriors discovered a slowly spreading famine. The priests appealed to X’hal asking why they were being punished. She told them that not all of her fortune had arrived at the new temple, and none of the people would feed until it was whole again. By the time they discovered _what_ was missing, they had no idea by which route it had traveled. They had to scour the entire continent.”

Cassie’s mouth was hanging open. “How did they find it?” she asked.

“They did not,” said Starfire. “That place is now known as the Desert of Iaf, and there are no Gollaks anymore.”

Marco whistled. “Girl sure likes her jewelry,” he teased, trying to lighten the situation.

“No,” said Starfire. “X’hal has no physical form anymore. The jewels were useless to her. But that which is given to her may never ever be taken away.”

Everyone got a lot more serious then. “I guess that brings us back to the question of what to do with them,” said Beast Boy.

“What do we do with the only two free Hork-Bajir in existence,” Cassie repeated.

“What do we do with them that X’hal will like,” Marco said.

<What do the Hork-Bajir want to do?> Ax asked Tobias.

Tobias flustered. <Uh…>

“We, uh, we didn’t ask,” Beast Boy admitted, and Cyborg flicked the back of his head. “Hey, you guys were the ones that wanted to leave the battle and regroup as soon as possible!” Beast boy whined.

"Then, I guess that's step one," Jake said. "Let's find out what the Hork-Bajir want."

－ －

“Hey, guys!” Beast Boy said, dropping down in front of the cave mouth. Around him was Jake’s tiger on top of the cave, Rachel’s bear crouching off to the side, Cassie’s wolf off to the other side, Marco’s gorilla perched in a particularly strong tree, and Tobias in the air. Behind him was gathered the rest of the Titans, with Ax. “I’m coming in, don’t be-- AGH!”

Beast Boy jerked back as a blade sliced at him. Rachel and Jake tensed for action, and Ax’s blade arched up. Beast Boy fell back onto his butt. “Was it something I said?” he asked.

The angry Hork-Bajir emerged, being pulled at by a scared one, a reversal of the earlier emotions when the same Hork-Bajir had been frightened and eager, respectively. “We thank for save,” said the angry one. “Not come back.”

<Are you serious?> Marco demanded.

“Not fool!” the Hork-Bajir insisted. “I know you!” He struck a finger out to indicate Starfire.

“What?” she gasped. “I… I am sorry; I do not recall meeting you?”

“You gave name!” the Hork-Bajir insisted.

“Yes,” Starfire said, nodding. “I told you earlier that I was Koriand’r of Tamaran.”

“ _And_ ,” said the Hork-Bajir.

“Yes,” Starfire agreed. “And Phyzzo-- oh.”

“Killer!” alleged the Hork-Bajir. “Destroyer! Thief!”

“Now, hold on a--" Phyzzon started.

“Jara Hamee not trust!” the Hork-Bajir yelled. “Jara Hamee kill to see! Go now with thanks, or stay and die!”

<Hamee…> Cassie repeated. <Is he…?>

Phyzzon lowered Starfire’s head. “In captivity, Seerow had children. One was Jara Hamee,” he said.

“You him!” Jara insisted.

“Yes,” said Phyzzon. Jara leapt at him, but Phyzzon and Starfire flew away. “No wait!” Phyzzon shouted desperately.

“Killer-Thief!” Jara shouted up at him.

“I… I know,” said Phyzzon. “Yes, I am. But if you are so grieved to lose your father, then you must understand why you cannot kill Koriand’r. You must not kill my host.”

Temrash snorted in amusement. “Got it there,” he muttered under his breath.

Jara hesitated. He thought for a moment, as Phyzzon slowly, carefully, landed a short distance from him. Finally, he said, “Many Hork-Bajir die Controlled.”

“Because there was no other choice, fighting Yeerks,” said Phyzzon. “But I am giving you a choice. You do have a right to kill me. I have committed a great crime against you, as well as those against your people.”

“Phyzzon, what are you doing?” Robin demanded, stepping forward, but Ax struck out his tail to block Robin’s path. Robin shot him a dirty look.

Phyzzon continued, “But if you choose to kill me, then let me leave her first. Let Koriand’r be safe.”

“Trick!” Jara insisted. “Yeerk hate host.”

“Not her,” Phyzzon insisted. “Koriand’r is my kalashi.”

Jara reeled like he’d been hit. “Kalashi?” he repeated. He turned to the other Hork-Bajir, who was watching with fascination from the safety of the cave. He pointed to her. “Kalashi?” he said again.

Phyzzon nodded. “Yes,” he insisted.

Jara raised his blade again. “Then bad like you,” he growled.

“No!” Phyzzon insisted, putting up Starfire’s hands which were glowing with green energy, but otherwise making no move against Jara. “Please! She is not! When I leave, you can speak to her! You will know then! She is not evil! She is not a criminal!”

“Are you ##### serious?” Temrash demanded.

“Yo! Don’t do this!” Cyborg yelled. “We can find another solution!”

Phyzzon turned then, not to the Titans, but to the Robin. “You are the one who says that we must take responsibility for our debts,” Phyzzon said quietly.

“I didn’t want this,” Robin whispered.

“Tell me it is not just,” Phyzzon said. “After all that I have done. Tell me this is not what I am supposed to do.” He looked a little desperate, like he thought Robin might actually be the sort of authority who could tell him that.

Robin turned away.

Jara snarled at him. “Leave!” he ordered, raising his fist in threat again.

Phyzzon nodded and lowered Starfire’s hands, the green energy disappearing. He dropped to Starfire’s knees on the soil and bowed her head.

The first thing that left Starfire was Phyzzon’s dread, heartbreak, and fear. She almost didn’t notice as her own was so intense. Next, she lost the sense of his thoughts and access to his memories. When her limbs became her own, she clamped her hands over her ears. “No!” she cried. “No, you cannot do this! Please! Please, Phyzzon, stop!” She wailed in agony as his presence left her, tears pouring down her face.

<Okay, this… This isn’t okay anymore,> Rachel said, excluding the Hork-Bajir from her thoughtspeak. <How do we stop this?>

<I don’t know if we can!> Cassie exclaimed. Her dismay and grief was clear in her voice, even if her wolf could not be seen bowing with its tail tucked.

“No, please!” Starfire begged as the numbness returned to her ear canal, and Phyzzon slid up against her hand, accidentally making it a bit numb. “No! Phyzzon! Stop!” She allowed him to spill into her hand, and she held him there, weeping over him.

Jara held out his hand to her, making a grabbing motion.

She clutched Phyzzon to her chest and flew backward, concentrating hard on her memories of him. “No!” she cried. “No, I cannot. Not my kalashin! No!”

Angrily, Jara prepared to attack her, but the other Hork-Bajir ran out and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Jara has right,” said the other Hork-Bajir. “But Phyzzon ask you speak. Speak.”

Starfire frowned. “I… I do not know what I am meant to tell you,” she said. “I know nothing that will relieve your grief.”

<Tell them about Seerow Hamee,> Ax urged.

Jara turned to him, surprised, then back to Starfire. “You know Seerow?” he asked.

Starfire pouted. “Briefly,” she admitted. “I was in the Gordanian holding cells when they decided to kill Phyzzon. To do it… They hurt Seerow very badly. Deadly. Then they put him in my cell. To taunt us both, I think. The Citadel thinks less of Tamaran than of the Hork-Bajir.” She looked down at the Yeerk in her hands. “He was dying, and I was sorry for him. So I spoke to him. For a long time, we spoke. Of the homeworld he’d left and the stories he’d been told of the way it used to be, and I told him about Tamaran One. He told me about his children and about Aldrea and Dak, and I told him about my parents and my siblings. He told me the story of Father Deep, and he wanted to tell me of Mother Sky, but... but he faded away.

“I became grieved and desperate. I begged for his return. In such a terrible, lonely place, I had made a friend only to watch him die, and I could not stand it. It was only then that I discovered that he was _still_ host to a Yeerk. Phyzzon three-five-five had decided to let Seerow die in peace, die in my company, rather than Controlled. He thought it just that he die with Seerow, through their connection, but I tried to get him to leave. He told me that he would die of Kandrona starvation if not of Seerow's death, but I insisted, and I lowered my ear to Seerow’s.” She looked up at Jara. “Your father died free,” she told him.

Slowly, she lowered back to the soil, still clutching Phyzzon in front of her. “When we were united, he became as concerned for my well-being as I was for his. He had failed his first two hosts and had controlled the last two. He refused to treat me so poorly. He helped fine-tune my abilities, make me more powerful, and we destroyed the vessel and escaped to earth.”

Tearfully, she considered the slug in her hands. “But… I suppose… He always belonged more to his sins than he did to me.” She kissed Phyzzon, once, then held him out to Jara, unable to hold back a new flood of tears.

Jara just stared at them. Then, he looked around at the heroes surrounding him. “Earth beasts come much to pool,” he said. Then he turned to the Titans. “You not.”

Cyborg nodded in confirmation, still taking in the scene nervously. “We’re two different teams,” he said. “We only occasionally work together.” Robin finally turned back to the scene, curious and hopeful.

Jara turned back to Starfire, who was shaking all over. He huffed a bull-like snort. Then, he said, “X’hal did send?”

Starfire nodded nervously but found herself unable to speak.

Jara made a dismissive gesture. “Go away,” he decided. “ _Far_ away. Earth beasts help Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak.”

“Th'barg!” Starfire all but screamed, before taking to the air again, waiting a good distance away for her friends to join her.

Robin looked both relieved and exhausted. “Thank you,” he said. “I know you didn’t have to do that. Thank you.” He hurried after Starfire, and Cyborg took Raven’s wrist and pulled Temrash after them. Beast Boy ran off after them.

The other Hork-Bajir, Ket, put her hand on Jara’s shoulder. “Jara good,” she whispered. “This good.” Jara looked less certain, but he leaned his head against hers.


	3. Chapter 3

“Are we in trouble?”

Robin looked up from the work he’d been pretending to do at one of the computer consoles in the main room. “What?” he asked. “Why would you think that?”

“You have not spoken to us since we returned,” Starfire said. “And it was…”

“Rather dramatic,” Phyzzon finished, with an embarrassed glance toward the nearest exit.

Robin sighed heavily. “To be honest?” he said. “I really, _really_ want to scream at you right now.” He groaned and folded his head in his hands, leaning his elbows against the console. “But, technically, you didn’t do much wrong. So I don’t know what to do.”

“I see,” she said. She turned to leave.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She turned back to him. “You are asking me?” she asked. Then, “Us?”

Robin looked at her and shrugged. “It _was_ rather dramatic.” He gave them a small smile, then got up from his chair and approached them He took their hands in his. “Are you okay?” he asked again.

Phyzzon swallowed and pulled Starfire’s hands away. But then he smiled. “I faced my sins,” he said, “and I was released. I am still… vorgfargloop.” He laughed lightly. “But I am more than fine.”

Robin smiled at that. “And Starfire?”

Starfire shook her head. “I do not ever want to do that again,” she said with great emphasis on “ever.” “But I will recover from the stresses of this day shortly.”

Robin smiled again. Then, nervously, he rubbed his neck and glanced just past them. "Uh, look, I've... I've been meaning to ask..." He returned his gaze to theirs. "What's a Kalashi? Kalashin?"

"In English?" said Phyzzon. "Those words would probably be translated as 'spouse'. However, the concept does not match exactly."

Robin blushed and glanced away. "I... I didn't know you were..."

"I thought it was obvious?" Starfire said, confused.

"Besides," said Phyzzon. "It is a Hork-Bajir word, not either of ours. We used it to try to get Jara to understand the situation."

"Then... What word would you use?" Robin asked.

They just shrugged at him. "We haven't really thought about it," they admitted.

Robin started to say something else, but a cry of “Jake reported in!” from Beast Boy interrupted him. Beast Boy leaped into the room happily, hesitating only briefly before seizing Starfire with a hug around the waist. From there he continued, “I was waiting in the Control Room for news, and Jake finally called in and said it was all handled pretty easily. He said Tobias suddenly recalled the existence of a valley that was perfect to relocate them to, and the valley seems to have magical safeguards.”

“X’hal?” asked Robin.

Beast Boy shook his head. “That’s the thing. Animorphs swear this feels like the Ellimist guy they’ve been dealing with.”

Robin frowned and looked to Starfire and Phyzzon. “Is these two having the same goal going to hurt us?” he asked.

“I do not think so,” said Starfire. “Not in this instance anyway. We have been thinking about what happened and why we were not punished. Of all possible players, X’hal chose _me_ to interfere with Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak in such a way that I would not know of the need until reuniting with Phyzzon, who is responsible for the ens--" Starfire winced, but continued, “enslavement and demise of Seerow Hamee.”

Beast Boy squinted up at her from where he was still clinging to her waist, her hand resting on his head. “You think her goal was to get Jara to forgive Phyzzon?” he asked.

Phyzzon frowned. “I… I am not sure that can be called forgiveness,” he said. “Perhaps, we came to an understanding.”

Starfire shook her head. “X’hal has a straightforward personality, disliking games and half-truths. I believe that what she wanted was exactly what she told me: To make a proclamation of her interests and ask their acceptance. Which is what happened. When Ket accepted my aid, she agreed her child would belong to X’hal.”

Robin stepped back, shocked. “X’hal wants the child?” he asked.

“Not like that,” said Phyzzon. “The child will belong to X’hal in the same way that Starfire belongs to X’hal. Not a sacrifice. Simply… domain.”

Starfire interjected, “We should also mention that X’hal has a distaste for enslavement. Freeing revolutionaries is not strange of her.”

Phyzzon glanced aside thoughtfully. “When Starfire and Jake were in the future, they found Kori’zzon and a Hork-Bajir woman in uneasy alliance. This Hork-Bajir was named Toby Hamee. That is not a Hork-Bajir given name. If this coming child is, in fact, Toby Hamee, then we may guess this name originates from the aid that _Tobias_ has provided.

“Based on the way the Toby of the future spoke, despite having said very little, I believe she may be a ‘seer,’ a rare-born Hork-Bajir of great intelligence and understanding, a quality that also makes for a far more fearsome warrior-leader,” Phyzzon explained. “This would reflect the usual interests of X’hal. To have great warriors dedicated to her, their vengeance fueling hers.”

“That’s scary,” Beast Boy mumbled.

Starfire shrugged. “She seemed nice to me,” she said.

Robin raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say she threatened to kill the future you?” he asked.

“Yes, but she did not do so,” Starfire reminded him. Robin chuckled and shook his head.

“Oh!” Beast Boy said suddenly, finally letting go of Starfire’s waist. “I forgot! Jake also said he’s not coming back.”

Starfire and Robin both spun on him. “What?!” they demanded.

Beast Boy put up his hands. “ _Tonight_!” he exclaimed. “Jake’s not coming back tonight! He’s staying over at Marco’s because Marco’s dad is working all night and won’t notice.”

Robin groaned and rubbed his forehead. “You really need to think about how you word things, Beast Boy,” he said.

“Sorry,” Beast Boy said, blushing heavily.

“I will make you sorry,” Starfire snarled viciously, before leaping forward and tickling him. He burst into screeches and fell to the floor.

Soon, Cyborg ran in. “Whe--?! Oh… _good_ ,” he said, barely suppressing a swear word. “I thought he was dying!”

“Oh, yes, this is the most deadly form of punishment in all of Yeerk space,” Phyzzon teased, as Starfire grabbed Beast Boy around the waist to continue tickling him, tears running down his green face.

“Actually,” Robin said. He leaned against the console again and said, “Jake’s sleepover gives me an idea.”

Phyzzon paused and looked over Starfire’s shoulder at him, raising an eyebrow.

Robin rolled his eyes. “I _mean_ that we should hang out. Actually hang out. Our groups aren’t as separate as they once were,” he said. “We’re sharing Jake. They took us to the barn today. Ax helped Phyzzon. But every time we get together, it’s something _huge_. We spend all our downtime still isolated from each other.”

“Hey, yeah!” Beast Boy agreed excitedly. He briefly transformed into a large snake, wrapped around Starfire such that she lost her footing and fell to the floor, then transformed into a lemur and hopped over to the couch before turning back. “Movie night! Let’s ask them over!”

“Let’s wait until this weekend,” Cyborg said. “When we have _our_ Raven back.”

Robin nodded in agreement. “Temrash is… However Raven might feel about him, he’s…” He shrugged, unable to come up with a polite word to describe Temrash. Everyone present knew well what Temrash was like anyway.

“Speaking of,” Phyzzon said from the floor. “Has anyone else noticed that Raven seems to have _less_ control than before?”

“Yeah, because he’s a Controller,” Cyborg snarled. “Just like you warned about. Every time he climbs in her head, he takes over one hundred percent and refuses to relinquish even an ounce until his allotted time is up.”

“No, I mean when she’s free,” Phyzzon said. He glanced helplessly to Robin. “You’ve noticed right?”

Robin scowled. “I was thinking the way he takes Control makes it harder on her when she’s free. The way Chapman behaved when Iniss relinquished control,” he said. “Am I wrong?”

Starfire frowned. “Perhaps…” she admitted. But, to her, it seemed far too soon for that sort of thing, and even then it was not a condition that she wished on her friend.

“I’ll talk to her next time she’s free,” Robin promised.

“Uh,” Cyborg interjected, “ _maybe_ I should.”

“What?” Robin demanded. “You don’t think I can?”

“You _could_ ,” said Beast Boy. “But sometimes, when you’re irritated, you can get… well…”

“Batman-y,” said Cyborg.

Starfire gasped in delight. “I understand this now!” she exclaimed.

Robin made a noise of distress. “I am not Batman-y!” he cried, horrified.

“No, of course not,” Cyborg teased. “Not _all_ the time.”

Robin repeated his noise of distress and turned to leave. “I’m going to go--"

“Sit in a dark room and brood?” Beast Boy suggested.

“Maybe obsess over cold cases you have no new evidence on?” Cyborg teased.

Angrily, Robin turned back to the main room and stormed over to the couch. “Actually, I was going to play video games,” he lied. He sat and picked up the remote and an abandoned game controller.

“Of course you were,” Phyzzon laughed. Starfire flew over next to him and pecked him on his red-hot cheek before taking a seat next to him and leaning against him. Laughing, Cyborg and Beast Boy took seats to the other side of him.

“Someone needs to sit over here,” Starfire insisted, pouting.

Beast Boy leaned forward to look at her. “Why?” he asked.

“Because I am yet to be without need of hugging,” Starfire admitted, then squealed in delight as she was quickly dogpiled by her friends, including one small green puppy.


End file.
